1. Field of Disclosure
The following disclosure relates to a hinge assembly and a portable device having the same, and more particularly, to a hinge assembly to vary the arrangement of a portable device and the portable device employing the hinge assembly.
2. Discussion of the Background
Generally, portable devices are small, can be carried by hand and can be operated while moving. Example of portable devices include but are not limited to a personal digital assistance (PDA), an electronic scheduler, a mobile phone, and a navigation device. Portable devices have been developed to implement functions such as reproduction of multimedia including terrestrial broadcasting, music and moving pictures and global positioning system (GPS) map searching, in addition to typical communication functions such as voice calls and radio calls.
Some portable devices may be classified as, for example, sliding-type devices and folding-type devices according to the way they open and operate. The sliding type portable device may include a body, a slider unit, and a hinge assembly which connects the body and the sliding together and permits them to slide relative to each other, generally in the length direction. In addition, generally, a keypad is provided on the body and a display unit is provided on each of a folding unit of a folding-type device and a slider unit of a sliding-type device. In the sliding-type portable device, when the slider unit is slid away from the body, there is a step from an upper surface of the body to the upper surface of the slider unit. As the result, keys on the keypad that are arranged adjacent to the step may be more difficult for a user to accurately press.